AUKEY CB-C70 Wireless Charging HUB REVIEW “Multitask like a Pro” | Mac Sources9.4
Add two USB 3.0 data ports, an HDMI port, and a wireless phone charger, with the AUKEY Wireless Charging HUB
I know that I am not alone in the struggle to keep my devices charged. One of the most frustrating aspects with my iPad Pro 11" and iPhone 11 Pro Max, is the single charging port and no headphone jack. Companies like BELKIN and SYIPHLON have created pass-through dongles, that will allow you to charge and listen via 3.5mm port. Dongle dependent, I took to Amazon to look for options to enhance my iPad/iPhone/Nintendo Switch experience. As an aside, if you are looking for an amazing laugh, I encourage you to watch the Apple Engineer talk about dongles ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSC_UG5_kU)
The AUKEY Wireless Charging Hub arrived in a tan cardboard box, measuring 4 3/8 inches wide by 4 5/8 inches long by 7/8 inches thick. The company name and generic product name were visible along the top left of the cover. I removed the outer shrink wrap packaging, with SKU sticker, and found a hidden 2 3/8 inches wide by 1 1/8 inches tall ink-outline image of the AUKEY charger. Similar to other AUKEY devices, the Wireless Charge Hub packaging lacked any form of razzle-dazzle. The top panel and front panel were devoid of writing, while both side panels detailed the recycled materials and to “GO GREEN WITH AUKEY.” The back panel provided the CB-C70 model number, standard manufacturing labels, “MADE IN CHINA,” the company address, www.aukey.com website, and the support@aukey.com address. Excited about the AUKEY hub, I felt that the packaging lacked a large part of the information that I needed to evaluate the product. The back panel should have detailed the utility of the product, the dimensions, and device specifications for the end-users. Alas, I opened the front panel and removed the plastic-wrapped, square-black charger, the 2 1/8 inches wide by 3 3/8 inches tall 24-Month Product Warranty Card, and hexalingual instruction manual.
I removed the hub from the thin plastic bag and placed it face down onto my counter. The smooth, matte-black, surface was embellished with a centrally located, etched, AUKEY logo. Located along the right side of the charger, you will find a 6 1/4 inches long USB-C power cable. I was initially quite pleased to find that the charger was a single piece and not a separate cord/charger combo. However, I would eventually discover that the attached USB-C cable was designed to send power to a MacBook or other USB-C powered device instead of receiving power. I flipped the device onto the surface and immediately noticed the rubberized 2 3/16 inches square foot. The 3/16-inch frame surrounded the generic “Wireless Charger HUB” name, CB-C70 model number, typical product manufacturing labels, as well as the product specifications: 9V/1A input, 10W output. If you direct your gaze upward or downward, you will find two cutouts, each housing two output ports; the upper alcove contained two USB-A/USB-3.1 ports and the lower alcove contained a USB-C input port and an HDMI output port.
To test the output of the Wireless Charger, I combined the AUKEY Minima 27W PD USB-C wall charger with a DROK LCD USB-C multimeter. I plugged the attached cable into the USB-C output port of the multimeter and found the green LED light illuminated. When I placed my iPhone 11 Pro Max upon the wireless charger, it did not charge. Perusing the instruction manual, the hub was designed to allow you to plug the native USB-C cable for your MacBook/IPad Pro into the charger. The attached cable was designed to then plug into a Macbook, IPad Pro or even a Nintendo Switch. I unplugged the HUB, plugged a USB-C cable into the hub and then plugged the HUB into my iPad Pro. I was pleased to find that it started charging immediately. To test the actual output, I plugged the DROK USB multimeter into the USB-Wall outlet and found the multimeter read 14.6V/2.13A. I removed the USB-C cable from my iPad Pro, plugged it into the USB-C input port on the AUKEY charging HUB, and then the Hub cable into my iPad Pro. With the pass-through setup, the DROK USB-C Multimeter read 14.6V/1.77–1.97A. I set my iPhone onto the wireless charger and the DROK multimeter increased to 14.5V/2.56A. Despite the increased power output, the wireless charger did not provide much power to my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I put my phone onto the device at 9:57PM at 77% power and by 10:17 pm, my phone had 80% power. By 10:28 pm, my phone was at 84% power, while my iPad nearly charged to full.
Similar to the Belkin device described above, the AUKEY Wireless Charging Hub added functionality. I loved the ability to charge my iPad (or MacBook), while wirelessly charging my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I was able to plug an HDMI cable from the Hub into my television and watched “Mythic Quest: Ravens Banquet” on Apple TV+, and Bumblebee and Sherlock Holmes on Amazon Prime. I was impressed to find that the videos played in high quality and filled my television. I tried to add a 1TB portable hard drive with movies to the setup, via USB, but my iPad would not read the device. I next tried to add a SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive but found that they were not compatible with the ports on the charger. Standard USB-A type cables, thumb drives, and flat cables will fit under the roof of the wireless charging pad. Unfortunately, larger cables/devices will not fit. Even though this device was designed to add peripherals to a MacBook Pro, I liked that I could wirelessly charge my iPhone 11 Pro Max, while my iPad was linked via HDMI through my television. More than a power pass-through device, the AUKEY hub added 2 USB 3.1 ports and an HDMI port, albeit non-charging ports and difficult to access ports.
After testing the Aukey Charging Hub, I felt that it would be a worthy addition to my BUBM double layer electronic organizer. I tried a variety of jump drives with the hub and enjoyed the ability to transfer photos/data. To work, the jump drives had to be small enough to fit into the ports. Unfortunately, the USB 3.0 ports were not capable of charging other devices. The only sources of power output were the attached USB-C cable and the wireless charging pad. (5W without Laptop, 10W with laptop). As a follow-up test, I wanted to see if I could use the HUB to display my Nintendo Switch on my television, without the docking station. I plugged the power cable of the device into my Nintendo Switch and found the DROK USB multimeter read 14.9V/.27A. After roughly 10 minutes of charging on the base, my Nintendo Switch was charged enough to play. It then dropped down to 5V/0.2A when plugged back up to the hub. Unfortunately, the setup would neither display onto the television nor charge the Nintendo Switch.
The highly-packable, multi-use wireless charging hub proved to be quite invaluable. I loved that I could output high-quality video from my Ipad Pro directly to my TV, while wirelessly charging my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I did have some limitations with the iPad Pro 11″, but these were not present with the MacBook Pro. I was able to plug in a wireless mouse and I was able to plug in a portable hard drive and enjoyed the benefits of the USB 3.0 data transfer rates. I was not able to use larger jump drives, such as the SanDisc Xpand devices. For a sub $50 device on Amazon, this versatile wireless charging hub may be an invaluable asset to your collection.
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Originally published at https://macsources.com on February 14, 2020.
